Vivaldi's own extension store
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It would be really helpful if Vivaldi had it's own native extension store/browser, even if it was using Chrome's store under the hood. Here are some benefits I can list off the top of my head:
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Performance (Google's store feels slow and sluggish even on my mid-spec PC and internet connection)
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"Vivaldi-compatibility" status; If it were to pull data from the Chrome store, there could be an extra layer on top allowing users to give it a compatibility score for the browser; making the most compatible rank the highest while also being generally handy. Sorta like the Wine app database.
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Ease of use; having an extension store and manager pop up from the side bar would be really handy. This is currently impossible with the Google web store because the UI is always cut off horizontally (and it bans you from using it if you're in portrait/mobile mode).
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Search features (The search system on Google's store is a joke. I always try searching for extensions for a specific website/function, like YouTube video downloaders, but there's no way to sort for open-source apps besides typing "github" and "open-source" and trying to painfully click trough every single entry while the website helps me by keeping the most relevant entries on the very bottom of the page. Have I mentioned how bad the performance for the Google's web store is-)
This topic was already brought up by someone back in 2016 (this post), and it was closed by someone saying the priorities were "Browser first, extensions second" when it came to the roadmap. But, as it's been 7 years since that post, I figured I'd ask!
I've always hated Firefox' and Chrome's extension browsers, and I feel like Chrome needs a replacement the most; They're even pushing out a new UI while still keeping the search system and performance as awful as it's been the past decade.
I feel like this would be a big, but really useful feature pushing the browser even further ahead. It could later be expanded upon with official browser mods of sorts; perhaps having a separate "Vivaldi mods" tab? -
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While I see nothing wrong with Chrome's extension site I don't like being told certain addons will not be allowed. It's not their place to tell and block the end user from using certain extensions.
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Huh, a own extension store means:
- Vivaldi needs to mirror all extensions from Google Web Store
if this is allowed, i do not think it is. - Vivaldi needs that extension developers need to upload here
How to tell them and attract them? - Vivaldi needs a team that looks if uploaded extensions are secure and not illegal
Much work for part of security and tester team
In my mind such is too much for a little company at this time.
- Vivaldi needs to mirror all extensions from Google Web Store
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@SkyBorg said in Vivaldi's own extension store:
It's not their place to tell
It's exactly the place and they have all the right to tell what they allow and what not.
It's their site, their rules.
If you prefer anarchy, install whatever you want from any other, uncontrolled, repository. -
You are incorrect and know it. A browser is just like a OS. Google and others should be providing the browser and doing nothing else. If I want a video download extension that works in the browser that should be my decision, not theirs. If I want an extension to block ads, cookies, etc... that should be my choice. All Google should be doing is making sure a extension hosted there is clean and safe.
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@SkyBorg What you want does only exist in a free world and free Internet. An where is such? Some monopolists have the power to make their own rules and restrict what they want.
Please stay on topic, we are talking about a Vivaldi Web Store, not about what you do not like at Chrome Web Store.
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There are also alternatives to the Chrome Store, eg ungoogled Chromium itself has a own store, also CRX4Chrome, Pluginaddons, Addonscrop and even the Edge extension store can be used (for ad-venturers
). In AlternativeTo they are some more, Opera Store block others than Opera from using its extensions, despite it's also a Chromium.
Chrome Web Store is not set in stone, you can even directly upload the crx from GitHub or others into Vivaldi.>Laptop ACER, AMD Ryzen, GPU AMD Radeon RAM 16GB, SSD 512GB -Win11 Home 64 v24H2| Vivaldi last stable|
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@Catweazle Actually Edge do the same
Vivaldi Stable+Snap | Patience Is The Key To Get The Vivaldi Spree | Unsupported Extensions | Github | w11 + Kde Manjaro + Android 13
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@Hadden89, before it don't, anyway, it's not a desirable alternative to the Chrome Store.
I think that it is possible to create an own store, because Vivaldi don't need a lot of extensions, 80% of the extensions in the Chrome Store are redundant in Vivaldi. Maybe there are a few more than a dozen which are usefull to add.
Respect security, the Chrome Store, same as Google Play, arent secure, it has been well proven that extensions are only removed if they are reported as malware by the users themselves and, apart from this, when they interfere too much with Google's tracking interests, as shown by the differences between some original security apps on GitHub or F-Droid and its "decaffeinated" versions in Google stores, or the elimination of "WhatCampaign" from the Chrome Store (it is still in Firefox) for interfering with Google's interests, not for security reasons,>Laptop ACER, AMD Ryzen, GPU AMD Radeon RAM 16GB, SSD 512GB -Win11 Home 64 v24H2| Vivaldi last stable|
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@SkyBorg said in Vivaldi's own extension store:
A browser is just like a OS
what? In your fantasy world. Not in mine. Good luck finding your golden pot at the end of the rainbow.
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@Catweazle said in Vivaldi's own extension store:
Opera Store block others than Opera from using its extensions
Correction they ATTEMPT to. I have 2 extensions from the Opera store that work perfectly in Vivaldi that are not available in the Google store.
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@Catweazle said in Vivaldi's own extension store:
Opera Store block others than Opera from using its extensions
That's not my experience. They warn me when I'm downloading an extension from a non-Opera browser. But they still let me download it. I just have to install the extension manually (via the crx file), that's all.
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@Catweazle agreed
Also I feel like if F-Droid can host and moderate their own repo for essentially free, Vivaldi should be able to too.
In terms of hosting AND security, the devs could perhaps pull extensions from Github; requiring all extensions to be open-source while also solving the hosting issue.I'm not sure what could be done in terms of the extension moderation team though. Malicious content could be published to Github still, but source-code would at least be readable.
Alternatively, Vivaldi could just integrate or collaborate with some alternative store people have listed in order to integrate it into Vivaldi.
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@Eggcorn, yes, but in this case i don't need to go to the Opera Store, downloading the crx directly from it's homepage or mostly GitHub
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I found this topic interesting, it would be cool to have a design characteristic of Vivaldi, but I see that it is somewhat laborious, but I agree about the search for these terms being bad, luckily I managed to install an open source extension through the "developer" resource, which is a good alternative. I don't understand development/programming, but I think it would be less work to add a type of shortcut with a link to extensions available on github, something simple like extensions with basic functions, for example, PDF in dark mode, translation, etc. specifically open source for those who have that preference, I don't know... just an idea.
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@gbfelipe, of course you can add extensions manually, uploading the CRX to the extensions page in Developer Mode, the only disadvantage is that this way they are not updated automatically, you will also have to do this manually.
Regarding extensions, I prefer to use as few as possible, I prefer to use either the functions that Vivaldi offers, or, if they are insufficient, use instead a Desktop App Screenshot/cast with ShareX, translation with Crow Translate,...).
Extensions mainly uBO, Site Bleacher, and a few others, eg link unshortener, Nitter redirect.... for image search and editing, also the ShareX extension to upload/share images, files, videos in the web with FileCoffee)
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I use Opera as well alongside Vivaldi on some setups.
I think there are cons and pros to having a dedicated store.
But I also don't think there's an outright need to copy everything like the good Dr said.
How about having such store only for things more exclusively for Vivaldi?
As for the benefits (if one would take the mirror way, is that at least if, knock on wood, Google store would be down somehow) there would be some redundancy in the form of separate Vivaldi source for extensions.
Just my two cents.
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When I review the history of Vivaldi, the trend was that over time it has needed fewer and fewer extensions due to the increasing number of its own functions. Since practically all the extensions regarding security and privacy are FOSS (SiteBleacher, NoScript, etc.), at least the ones I use, perhaps, instead of creating a Store, the default functions can be included. This will reduce the need for extensions to a specific minimum, depending on the particular needs of each user.
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If Vivaldi gonna have an extension store, it won't be a gigantic store like Google one (no point to reinvent the wheel), instead it will be just a small store with Vivaldi exclusive extensions. It's purpose is not to replace or compete with other extension store, but to provide a place for 3rd party developers to support Vivaldi with their own quirky ideas that rejected/ignored/overlooked by the V team.
There are a lot of popular mainstream features we all taken for granted today were once pioneer by 3rd party extension developer. Eventually, their extensions got so good & popular that all major browser maker "adopted" their ideas as main feature, & it makes most browser a lot better because of this. Example: Ads Blocker, many advanced tab browsing feature, Workspace, Panel, Omnibar, text/global/auto-zoom, auto-shrink vertical tabbar...etc.
What I try to say is Vivaldi community are somewhat different than other browser, we are more tech competent & creative bunch. Just take a look at the Mod forum, we already make Vivaldi extensions, apps, CSS & JS mods and share 'em in the forum. So why not create an official place where the less tech competent user can also enjoy those enhancement with a more user friendly environment? Not everyone are willing or competent in slogging though Vivaldi's installation folder & editing text file to mod Vivaldi, thus I hope V team can take the next step to improve CSS/JS mod accessibility via an extension store, something like one click solution for less tech competent people to install & manage Vivaldi mod easier.
